Apparatus for smoking and curing meat



-T. e. CRANE: APPARATUS FOR SMOKING AND CURING MEAT. APPLICATION FILEDDEC. I7- I920- 1,414,504. Patented May 2, 1922.

3 SHEET-SHEET I.

0 II W I I I z I I L L L I ".ww

T. G. CRANE.

APPARATUS FOR SMOKiNG AND CURlNG MEAT.

APPLICATION HLED 050. 1.1, 1920.

1,414,504. I Patented. May 2, 1922.,

3 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

T. G. CRANE.

APPARATUS FOR SMOKING AND CURING MEAT.-

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 17, 1920.

1,414,504. I Patepted May 2,1922.

F ,3 SHEETS-SHEET 31- V rte-1,133,888.

PTilT t) THEODORE G. CRANE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO AIROBLASTCORPORATION,

. A CORPORATION-OF -I\TEW' YORK.

APPARATUS FOR SMOKING- AND CURING MEAT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 2, 1922.

Application filed December 17, 1920. Serial No. 431,418.

T 0 all whom it may concern 7 Be it known that I, THEoDoRE G. CRANE, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago,inthe county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain newand useful "Improvements in an Apparatus for Smoking and Curing Meat;and Ido hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, reference being had tothe accompanyingdrawings,and to the numerals of reference -n1arked thereon, which form a part ofthis specification.

Myinvention relates particularly to an apparatus used in smoking meatand the like and is'an improvement over the apparatus illustrated in thepatent to Schwenger The Schwenger device has not proved satisfactorysince the blast of air was directed at the top ofthe' sawdust orwhatever smoke producing material was used. This would create a thickcover over the sawdust or cake thesame and greatly interfere andobstruct theaction of the smoldering combustion that produces the smoke,and prevent the combustion from sufficiently penetrating the smokeproducing material. My invention, among other things, is designed toovercome this defect.

It is therefore an object ofthis invention to-provide an apparatus thatcauses proper combustion of, the smoke producing material. 7

It is also an object of this invention to provide an apparatus thatproperly aerates the smoke producing material.

It is also an object of this invention to provide means for producing aneven tem- Y perature.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an apparatus that canbe easily controlled.

Other and further important objects of this invention will be apparentfrom the disclosures in the specification and drawings.

The invention (in a preferred form.) is

illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter more fully described.

0n the drawings:

Figure l is-a perspective viewof my apparatus as installed for service.

Figure 2 is substantially a bottom plan view of a smoke house showing aportion of my apparatus in top plan view.

Figure 9 is a section through the main air pipe showing a valvemechanism.

Figure 10 '1 s:a sect1on at the juncture of the gas'and air pipes. I

As shown on the drawings:

In the different figures of the drawing.v

similar features are denoted by similar referen'ce numerals.

Briefly described, my apparatus com prises primarily a system foraerating and ignitmg a mass of smoke producing material such as sawdust,preferably from within the mass or interiorly thereof, for creating thesmoke necessary for smoking and curing meat. And as the area or size ofsmoke houses vary, it is contemplated that myapparatus may be made inunits so to serve different sizes of smoke houses. According to myapparatus or system a unit comprises a SHI lG air blast and ignitionipipe closed at its free end, buried in a mass of sawdust or the likeand means for heating the same to ignite the sawdust and passing airtherethrough to aerate the sawdust. A two unit system comprises two airblast and ignition pipes, closed at their free ends and buried. in amass of sawdust of greater area and means for heating the same forigniting the sawdust, and for forcing air therethrough. Thuslay-increasing and decreasing the units, my apparatus or system can beadapted for various sized smoke houses.

In the present embodiment of my invention I have illustrated in Figure 1a two unit system. One unit comprises the perforated air blast andignition pipe or element 1 having its end closed, shown as covered by orburied in sawdust, and the heated and heat conducting and air supplyingpipe 2. the perforated air blast and ignition pipe or element having itsend closed, covered The other unit comprises with sawdust, and the heatconducting and air supplying pipe 5. For the purpose of heating thesepipes a gas jet pipe 3 is supported underneath the same on brackets 6which in turn are supported by vertical brackets S which also supportbrackets 9 in which the heat and air supply plpes are mounted; Anynumber of these brackets and supports may beused depending upon thelength of the units. These supportsare designed, with upper inclinedflanges or slopesto support a reve-rberatory hood or nected to the rearend thereof by angled swivel joint couplings 11 and short pipe 1sections 12, the pipe sections 12- fitting in the angled swivelcouplings lland also in angled couplings 13 on the lgnition pipes 1 and4, as clearly shown in Fig.2; The

perforations 15 in the ignition pipes 1 and 4 may be staggeredtherearound. to properly v aerate the sawdust, but I preferably put"them inthe bottom ofthe pipes so that the 'gusts'ofair will bedeflected from the floor and be scattered. in different directions.

is For this purposethe pipes 1* andAa should be supported a shortdistance from the floor and as they can be easily swung upwardly on thesw vels 11, it IS a'simple matter toso support them, and if desirablethe 5 pipes. may be supplied with the collars 14:

consists in connectingeach gas jet pipe of" to properly space them fromtheffioor.

t The. jet pipe 3 that heatsthe pipes 2 and 5 is preferably providedwith jets at frequent intervals which may consist of thimbles .16 (seeFig. 6) threaded into apertures in the pipes and having toothed or gearlike tops 17 for scattering the heat and directing it toward the pipes 2and 5. Thus the gaseous fuel will enter the pipe 3 and when ignited willheat the heat conducting pipes 2 and 5, through which the air isconducted to the ignition pipes land 4, respectively, and the heat willquickly radiate from the pipes 2 and 5 to the ignition pipes 1 and 4.which will soon become sufiiciently hot to ignite the saw dust orwhatever aid the combustion so that a good or" smoke is soon attained. ig

It is contemplated that gaseous fuel be fed to the jet pipes and air tothe other pipes during the operation of. my system. A convenlentmethodof accomplishing this a unit with. a common source of supply and eachair supply plpe of a unit with a common source of air supply. When onlytwo 24 1 supply pipe 19 to the jet piper.

units are used, this can readily be effected by the use of Y pipecoupling 16, and the pipes, thus the coupling .16 connects the. fairpipes with an air supply pipe 18 and the coupling 17 connects thegas jetpipe.

with a gas supply pipe 19.

The forced currents of airare produced by an air pump or blower20suitably supported, from which the air is pumped to a mainair pipe 21 towhich the air supply pipe 18is coupled, and as it is desirable to mixsome air with the gas, I extend the 'main pipe 21 below its point ofconnection with the air supply pipe" 18 and couple the same with the gaspipe 19. A practical way of effecting this 'couplingis shown in Fig.

10, whichillustrates an air nozzle 22 having .a restricted openingsecured on the lower end ofthe main air plpe 21, a coupling 23 beingsecured to the nozzle, and

this coupling is provided with a threaded 7 part for receiving the gassupply pipe19 and a second .threaded'part at right angles thereto forreceiving the'gas pipe2 l which i may lead from the city main or othersource of supply. -Thus a certain amount of air 7 will enter through thenozzle 22' and be mixed with gas entering from the gas pipe l he supplyof gasin-th'e gas pipel21 may beregulated by the valve 25 and the amountof air tor mixing purposes'with the gasmay the mixture passing onthrough thegas be regulated by avalve 26 in the pipe 21; and

to prevent the gaseous mixture fromb'a'cking up through the nozzle 22and pipe 2l into the air pump a one-way valve'is prefer ably insertedjust above the coupling 23.

9-illustrates one form ofvalve that may be used, and for the purpose ofsupporting saidvalve, a special coupling 27 is used which connects theends of the air plpe in spaced relation and supports the one-way valve28 which is pivotally mounted in the coupling at 29 and counterweightedat 30. .i The valveiits snugly against the bottom of j the upper pipesection, but the air canforce .it open against the resistance of theweight 30. But in casethe air pumpor blower ceases cooperate whereby thegas pressure 7 exceeds the air pressure, the valve immediately'closespreventlng thegas from backing up into'the pump or blower. 1 This valvecairbe made adjustable byscrew threading the coupling 27 on the pipesection as is obvious. r r

The heat of combustion in the smoke house produces the meat curingtemperature which should be eventhroughout the smoke house to get thebest results. pens that the door provides access ,for some cold air andlikewise the space at the walls, especially the wall exposed to a coldnorth or It frequently hap 7,

westerly wind. To provide against such occurrences, I have illustratedthe hotair delivery pipes 31 and 32 which are respectively connectedwith the hot air pipes 5 and 2 and are directed so as to deliver heatedair to remote parts of the smoke l1OL1SGth2Lt need heating, thusassuringan even temperature throughout.

It is contemplated that the gas jets on the jet pipe 3 may be lighted inany well known manner. Any accessible one can be lighted, the other jetsbeing automatically lighted from this one, one after the other; all thejets on the pipe 3 being sufliciently close so that one will light theadjacent ones as is well known.

In Figure 5 I have shown a series of jets in a transverse plane throughthe pipe, the lower one of which when ignited will direct the flamethereof to ignite the sawdust from the top. Any number of these sawdustlighting jets may be used if desirable since they. aid in the combustionon the surface of the sawdust, and when used in combination with mainignition pipes 1 and i produce excellent results.

l/Vhen it is desired to use my apparatus after the same has beeninstalled in a smoke house or chamber, and the proper amount of sawdustor smoke producing material has been spread over the air blast andignition pipes 11 and 4, the valves 25 and 26 may be adjusted to admitthe gas from the gas pipe and the air from the operating pump or blower20 which it is contemplated has been put in operation. The main volumeof air will enter the air supply pipe 18.and be delivered through theheat supplying. pipes 2 and 5 to the ignition pipes 1 and 4, where itwill be forced throughthe apertures 15 and aerate the sawdust. A certainamount of air will be forced through the valve 26 and be mixed with thegas entering from the gas pipe 24. The gaseous fuel will then enter thejet pipe 3, and may be ignited as previously explained to heat the pipes2 and 5. As iron conducts heat very rapidly, the ignition pipes whichare practically a continuation of the air pipes 2 and 5 will be quicklyheated to a point where the sawdust will be ignited.

It should be noted that the air that aerates the sawdust interiorlythereof is heated as it passes through the pipes 52 and 5, and this hotair willmaterially aid the combustion in producing a large volume ofsmoke and as the combustion begins from a point well within the mass ofmaterial, which is feasible on account of the air current passedtherethrough, it is obvious that no caking will occur and that thesawdust can be practically all utilized, and during this operation thepipes 31 and will deliver hot air to the cold parts of the smokechamber, producing thereby a veryeven temperature.

entirely shutoff, since the blasts of air directed through will fan thecombustion.

It will accordingly be observed that my apparatus is efficient,economical, and productive of the best results, and that it can be madein one or more units to suit the size of the smoke house it isdesired toserve.

I am aware that numerous details of construction may be varied through awide range without departing from the principles of this invention, andI therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted otherwise thannecessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. A meat smoking apparatus comprising a perforated ignition elementadapted to be buried in the smoke producing material, and means forheating said element and passing air therethrough.

2. In a meat smoking apparatus, an ignition element adapted to be placedinteriorly of a mass of smoke producing'material, and means for heatingsaid element.

3. A meat smoking apparatus comprising a perforated ignition pipeadapted to be buried in a mass of smoke producing mate rial, a heatconducting and air supplying pipe coupled thereto, a gas jet pipe forheating said-heat and air supplying pipe, and

An apparatus for curing meat comprismg a combined air blast and ignitionmember adapted to be inserted in a mass of smoke producing material, incombination with means adapted for directing preheated air against th'echilled walls of the smoke house. I

6. In an apparatus used in curing meat, a heated air blast elementadapted to be buried in a mass of smoke producing material, and meansadapted for conveying heated air from said air blast element to a remotepart of a smoke house.

7 In an apparatus used for curing meat, a hollow perforated memberadaped to be buried in a mass of smoke producing material, a heat andair conveying pipe connected to said member, and means for heating saidpipe and forcing air therethrough.

8. In an apparatus used for curing meat, a support, a pair of pipesmounted on said support, a second pair of pipes connected to said firstmentioned pipes by swivel couplings, said second pair of pipes beingperforated and adapted to be covered with a mass of smoke producingmaterial, and means for heating said first mentioned pipes and forcing;air therethrough.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presenceof two subscribing Witnesses.

THEODORE G. CRANE. Witnesses:

CARLTON HILL, EARL M. HARDINEQ

